Representative Honan has long been an advocate for progressive policy in our state. As the longest continuously serving legislator at the State House, his experience and influence play a key role in advancing legislation. Below are some of the accomplishments he’s most proud of:

• 1989 - Passed legislation prohibiting discrimination in Massachusetts based on sexual orientation.

• 1990 - Passed the Hate Crimes Reporting Act.

• 1990 - Passed the Cape Cod Commission Act to limit commercial development for all of Cape Cod.

• 1993 - Passed Education Reform legislation that dramatically increased state funding for K-12 public schools. 

• 1995 - Upheld the prohibition on public financing for private and religious schools in our state constitution.  

• 1996 - Passed the Rivers Protection Act to prevent development along nearly 9,000 miles of Massachusetts riverbanks.

• 1997 - Passed electric utility restructuring legislation creating Massachusetts' Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard.

• 1997 - Rejected the death penalty.  

• 1998 - Passed a gun control/assault weapons ban legislation that has been called one of the strongest in the nation.

• 1998 - Rejected legislation preventing Massachusetts from recognizing out-of-state same-sex marriages.

• 2000 - Passed the Community Preservation Act to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding for open space and historic property protection and low-income housing production.

• 2000 - Passed buffer zone legislation to protect access to reproductive healthcare facilities (abortion clinics). 

• 2001 - Rejected legislation defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

• 2001 - Increased Boston’s Affordable Housing Exaction, requiring real-estate developers to fund affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents.

• 2002 - Rejected the “Protection of Marriage” amendment to State Constitution defining marriage as the union between a man and a woman.

• 2004 - Rejected amendments banning same-sex marriage at our Constitutional Convention.

• 2006 - Passed a healthcare reform law that made Massachusetts the first state to achieve almost universal health insurance coverage.

• 2006 - Passed legislation establishing the Commission on LGBTQ Youth as an independent state commission, the first and only such statewide commission in the country.

• 2008 - Passed the Global Warming Solutions Act to make Massachusetts one of the first states to mandate greenhouse gas emissions reductions by law. 

• 2008 - Passed the Green Communities Act to expand energy efficiency, develop renewable energy resources, and create a new greener state building code.  

• 2008 - Voted to authorize Massachusetts’ participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the first mandatory market-based greenhouse gas reduction program in the nation.

• 2010 - Passed legislation requiring schools to investigate and report bullying.

• 2011 - Passed legislation prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity in public housing, employment and lending decisions.

• 2011 - Passed legislation allowing transgender individuals to amend birth certificates. 

• 2016 - Passed legislation requiring the procurement of up to 1,600 megawatts of offshore wind energy; Massachusetts was the first state in the country to do so. 

• 2016 - Passed legislation prohibiting discrimination based on gender in public restrooms.

• 2018 - Passed legislation increasing the amount of wind energy authorized by another 1,600 MW.

• 2018 - Passed Criminal Justice Reform legislation that repealed a number of mandatory and statutory minimum sentences for many non-violent drug offenses.

• 2018 - Passed legislation to increase the minimum wage from $11.00 to $15.00 per hour over the years 2019 to 2023.

• 2019 - Passed the Massachusetts Paid Family Medical Leave Act that Establishes paid family leave for up to 12 weeks to care for a family member, and up to 20 weeks for your own illness.

• 2019 - Passed legislation banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ minors.

• 2019 - Passed the Student Opportunity Act, the most significant update of the state education funding system since the Massachusetts Education Reform Act was enacted in 1993. 

• 2020 - Passed a temporary pandemic-related moratorium on evictions and foreclosures. 

• 2020 - Both the House and Senate passed legislation to increase required greenhouse gas reductions to 50% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 75% below 1990 levels by 2040 and require net-zero emissions of greenhouse gas by 2050. 

• 2020- The House and Senate passed Police Reform legislation to improve policing by establishing a certification process, creating an independent and empowered oversight board, and codifying restrictions on the use of force measures.   

• 2022- Passed the Offshore Wind and Clean Energy Act to further enable the state to reach its goal of net-zero emissions while creating thousands of good-paying jobs.

• 2022- Passed legislation to further strengthen reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare laws after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Click here to see a full list of the bills Kevin has sponsored and co-sponsored in the 2023-2024 legislative session.